DO YOU CONSIDER EVERY PERSON YOU MEET TO BE YOUR FRIEND? HAVE YOU EVER TRUSTED A FRIEND AND FOUND OUT AFTERWARDS THAT PERSON WAS NOT YOUR FRIEND AT ALL? HAS SOMEONE WHO WAS ONCE YOUR CLOSEST FRIEND TURNED INTO ONLY A PASSING ACQUAINTANCE?
WE HAD A VISITING PASTOR LAST SUNDAY NIGHT AT OUR CHURCH. HE DELIVERED A MESSAGE THAT STILL HASNT LEFT MY MIND. HIS MESSAGE WAS QUICK. HE GOT RIGHT TO THE POINT. HE CAME PREPARED AND CLEARLY SPOKE A WORD FROM THE LORD. THE WORD HAD IMPACT. HIS SERMON ASKED ONE QUESTION, WHICH WAS "ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM?" MY FIRST, IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO THAT QUESTION WAS A "RELATIONSHIP", OF COURSE. WHO WOULDNT QUICKLY ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH THAT RESPONSE? MY ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS STILL ON MY MIND TODAY.
FOR SO MANY YEARS, I WOULD GO TO CHURCH AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE. I WOULD LISTEN TO THE PREACHER AND FEEL A TOUCH FROM GOD. ONCE I LEFT THE CHURCH, I WOULD RESUME NORMAL ACTIVITY. I WOULD GO BACK TO DOING EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I WOULD LEAVE JESUS RIGHT THERE IN THE CHURCH AND FORGET ABOUT HIM UNTIL I DECIDED TO GO BACK. WHEN I HAD A PROBLEM, I WOULD CALL UPON HIS NAME AND ACTUALLY EXPECT HIM TO ANSWER ME. WHEN A FAMILY MEMBER WOULD GET SICK, I WOULD SAY A QUICK PRAYER. IF I GOT INTO TROUBLE OR FOUND MYSELF IN A TIGHT SPOT, I WOULD BEG GOD TO HELP ME AND PROMISE TO NEVER DO IT AGAIN. I WAS LOOKING FOR AN ENCOUNTER. I HAD IT ALL SO VERY WRONG.
TODAY, I FEEL SO VERY SORRY FOR TREATING GOD IN SUCH A MANNER. I AM ASHAMED OF HOW I SO CARELESSLY THREW JESUS ASIDE. JESUS DIED A SLOW AND AGONIZING DEATH FOR ME AND I TOSSED HIM ASIDE LIKE A RAG DOLL FOR WAY TOO LONG. I REALIZE NOW THAT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD HAS TO BE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. I CANNOT CALL UPON HIM WHEN ONLY WHEN I NEED HIM. I CANNOT LEAVE HIM SITTING ON A CHURCH PEW. HE DESERVES SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. I HAVE LEARNED TO TRUST HIM. I HAVE LEARNED TO LISTEN TO HIS STILL, SMALL VOICE. HIS FRIENDSHIP WILL NEVER LEAD ME IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. HIS WORD WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN. HIS LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL. I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT HE NEVER STOPPED CARING ABOUT ME. A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS LIKE THAT OF NO OTHER! JESUS IS TRULY MY FRIEND.
YES, I CAN HONESTLY CALL JESUS MY FRIEND TODAY. ONLY THROUGH HIS FORGIVENESS, HIS GRACE, HIS MERCY AND HIS LOVE! HE IS TRULY MY FRIEND AND I KNOW THAT HE LOVES ME. BUT, JESUS LOVES YOU TOO! WE WERE ALL PUT ON THIS EARTH NOT TO BE MISERABLE, BUT TO SHARE IN THE BEAUTY AND THE GLORY OF HIS LOVE. MY GOD HAS PROVEN THIS POINT TO ME. IF HE DID IT FOR ME, HE CAN AND HE WILL SURELY DO IT FOR YOU!
JOHN 15:14 "YOU ARE MY FRIENDS IF YOU DO WHATEVER I COMMAND YOU"
IT HAS BEEN A BLESSED ADVENTURE!
WE HAD A VISITING PASTOR LAST SUNDAY NIGHT AT OUR CHURCH. HE DELIVERED A MESSAGE THAT STILL HASNT LEFT MY MIND. HIS MESSAGE WAS QUICK. HE GOT RIGHT TO THE POINT. HE CAME PREPARED AND CLEARLY SPOKE A WORD FROM THE LORD. THE WORD HAD IMPACT. HIS SERMON ASKED ONE QUESTION, WHICH WAS "ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM?" MY FIRST, IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO THAT QUESTION WAS A "RELATIONSHIP", OF COURSE. WHO WOULDNT QUICKLY ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH THAT RESPONSE? MY ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS STILL ON MY MIND TODAY.
FOR SO MANY YEARS, I WOULD GO TO CHURCH AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE. I WOULD LISTEN TO THE PREACHER AND FEEL A TOUCH FROM GOD. ONCE I LEFT THE CHURCH, I WOULD RESUME NORMAL ACTIVITY. I WOULD GO BACK TO DOING EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I WOULD LEAVE JESUS RIGHT THERE IN THE CHURCH AND FORGET ABOUT HIM UNTIL I DECIDED TO GO BACK. WHEN I HAD A PROBLEM, I WOULD CALL UPON HIS NAME AND ACTUALLY EXPECT HIM TO ANSWER ME. WHEN A FAMILY MEMBER WOULD GET SICK, I WOULD SAY A QUICK PRAYER. IF I GOT INTO TROUBLE OR FOUND MYSELF IN A TIGHT SPOT, I WOULD BEG GOD TO HELP ME AND PROMISE TO NEVER DO IT AGAIN. I WAS LOOKING FOR AN ENCOUNTER. I HAD IT ALL SO VERY WRONG.
TODAY, I FEEL SO VERY SORRY FOR TREATING GOD IN SUCH A MANNER. I AM ASHAMED OF HOW I SO CARELESSLY THREW JESUS ASIDE. JESUS DIED A SLOW AND AGONIZING DEATH FOR ME AND I TOSSED HIM ASIDE LIKE A RAG DOLL FOR WAY TOO LONG. I REALIZE NOW THAT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD HAS TO BE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. I CANNOT CALL UPON HIM WHEN ONLY WHEN I NEED HIM. I CANNOT LEAVE HIM SITTING ON A CHURCH PEW. HE DESERVES SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. I HAVE LEARNED TO TRUST HIM. I HAVE LEARNED TO LISTEN TO HIS STILL, SMALL VOICE. HIS FRIENDSHIP WILL NEVER LEAD ME IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. HIS WORD WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN. HIS LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL. I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT HE NEVER STOPPED CARING ABOUT ME. A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS LIKE THAT OF NO OTHER! JESUS IS TRULY MY FRIEND.
YES, I CAN HONESTLY CALL JESUS MY FRIEND TODAY. ONLY THROUGH HIS FORGIVENESS, HIS GRACE, HIS MERCY AND HIS LOVE! HE IS TRULY MY FRIEND AND I KNOW THAT HE LOVES ME. BUT, JESUS LOVES YOU TOO! WE WERE ALL PUT ON THIS EARTH NOT TO BE MISERABLE, BUT TO SHARE IN THE BEAUTY AND THE GLORY OF HIS LOVE. MY GOD HAS PROVEN THIS POINT TO ME. IF HE DID IT FOR ME, HE CAN AND HE WILL SURELY DO IT FOR YOU!
JOHN 15:14 "YOU ARE MY FRIENDS IF YOU DO WHATEVER I COMMAND YOU"
IT HAS BEEN A BLESSED ADVENTURE!
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